


A bug in the system

by Honeythieff



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 11:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17848508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeythieff/pseuds/Honeythieff
Summary: Kozume Kenma and his rash decisions. That he does not regret (but not all the time).





	A bug in the system

**Author's Note:**

  * For [german_no](https://archiveofourown.org/users/german_no/gifts).
  * A translation of [Нечитаемый код](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17330165) by [german_no](https://archiveofourown.org/users/german_no/pseuds/german_no). 



> Authors notes:  
> Pre-canon.  
> Preslash. You may see BokuKen here. Or you may not.

 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

If a time machine existed, Kenma, without thinking, would try to return to his childhood and prevent his biggest life mistake. He wouldn`t even care about wormholes, natural disasters, or the butterfly effect.  

Because back then, Kenma did not realize, what he was doing and how hard he would suffer. 

Fourteen minutes. That much little Kozume believed he`d made a good decision. He was even happy for a while.  

Then his favorite gameboy became a plate for his favorite ice-cream pie. Kenma could swear to God his heart had torn apart that exact moment.   

He wished immediately to take it back, to take it all back! He truly believed that he would fix things. That it was not too late. 

But as well as his belief in Santa, all the efforts has gone in smoke.  

He became friends with Kuroo-you-are-my-best-friend-forever-Tetsurou. 

For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death them do part. 

Kenma even knows whose death it would be. 

At that time, while his biggest life mistake was scrapping an ice-cream pie with a desert spoon from the gameboy and smiling at him with guilty face, Kozume promised to himself that he would never ever again made something equally stupid.   

Never ever, ever.  

No way in hell. 

He has truly succeeded in doing so prior to his first year in a high school. 

He avoided any troublesome (Kuroo-like) people, slept in class sometimes, shirked on sports events and practice, got decent scores, and had his fun with game consoles. That were not allowed to touch for anybody (especially for Kuroo). Kenma could even say everything was perfect if he had just thought about that peaceful time. Ordinary teenage life of an ordinary Japanese schoolboy.  

No worries, no ice-cream pies. 

Then the high school happened. And a volleyball team. And loud teammates. And his first training camp. 

Then… 

“Kenma! Remember, I told you about Bokuto? There he comes. I`ll introduce you!” 

“I refuse.” 

“Hey! Put that down for a minute, will`ya? Nothing happens with your mages and orcs.” 

“I refuse.” 

“Bokuto, bro! Long time no see!” 

“Hey-hey-he-ey!” 

…Bokuto happened.  

Why do time capsules to the future exist, but the ones to the past do not. Kenma would write only two lines to little himself. 

_Stay away from Kuroo Tetsurou. Like attracts like._

Bokuto was noisy, emotionally unstable, impulsive dork as well as Kuroo. Bokuto is always up for anything crazy. Even Akaashi, a first-year setter, failed to stop him (although he honestly tried). 

Kenma refuses to make another bad life decision. So he only nodded to Bokuto and stayed as far from him as he could during all the training camp. That was surprisingly easy. But Kenma was not naïve. Once, it was surprisingly easy to deal with Kuroo too. For the first fourteen minutes. 

Looking at a new message in Line from unknown number, Kenma realized he was worried for a reason. 

He gave his contact details to Akaashi only.  

new message (1), from: /unknown/: 

12:33 

_Hey-hey! i`m bokuto koutarou!_

_kuroo gave me your number. it was cool in the camp, yeah?_

Till death them do apart. Well. How about now. 

“Kuroo.” 

“Hmm?” 

Smirking Kuroo Tetsurou annoys more than his betrayal. Kenma looks at him with his most angry eyes and decides to tell Yaku-san who put kid-sized insoles in his shoes. 

The phone buzzes twice. Kenma looks at it, silent. 

new message (2), from: /unknown/ 

12:38 

_Or wasn`t?_

12:39 

_Akaashi says you are friends now. cool!_

Kenma do not understand why Bokuto is texting to him. Moreover, this was just idle talk. Curiosity was almost as strong as cautiousness and good sense. But if meeting Kuroo has taught Kenma anything, it`s that he clearly shouldn`t answer those messages. 

He shuts Line and continues playing a new game in which he has just started to create his avatar. Kuroo looks smug, but keeps silent.  

No new messages appear.  

Kozume decides that he has won this level. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

It`s been a week since the summer camp ended. New messages from Bokuto never appear, and Kenma calms down. Akaashi sends him a few photos from the training camp made by Furukodani manager. These are mostly team photos. But there are some where Kenma is alone. He is either sweaty and stands close to a net or plays games on the phone. One of those is the photo where Kuroo is laughing and running his hand though Kenma`s hair. Not a “photo for a frame” type or for publishing, but Kenma saves all of them. 

It`s Monday. After the practice in the changing room Kuroo snatches a bottle of water from Kenma`s hands, and Kenma remembers the threat to sell Kuroo out to Yaku. He opens a messenger. 

you:

15:42 

_Kuroo put kid-sized insoles in the shoes_. 

A childish behavior as it is. But that fills nice, and Kenma, satisfied, walks past his best friends to the locker to get a bag and go home.  

A new notification pops up. 

new message (1), from /unknown/: 

15:47 

_So that really was Kuroo??? he denied it to the last. how he could not tell me, I would never rat him out!_  

Wait. 

Kenma freezes and just stares in his phone hoping that he is just seeing things. Well, no. Yaku did not send that message. Kenma opens Line and sees Yaku`s chat is right below Akaashi`s. He talked to Akaashi three days ago.  

Which means… 

Which means Kenma was the one who continued talking to Bokuto. By mistake, but he did. 

He sits on the bench and sighs heavily. His teammates stands still and looks at him with curiosity. Kenma just ignores all of them.  

The phone buzzes few more times in a row. Kuroo gives him back the almost empty bottle. Kenma wants to go back in time.  

new message (3), from /unknown/: 

15:56 

_I guess that one was not for me_

15:57 

_Don`t tell me you wrote to Yaku_

15:57 

_Say, what have kuroo done to you?_

_It must be smth harsh. Or you are just mean best friend._

Kuroo gave Kenma`s contact details without permission. Kuroo broke Kenma`s gameboy. Kuroo made him to hate ice-cream pies. And Kenma has to see his shaggy face every single day. 

The list was started 10 years ago, and it never stops growing. Kenma is the one suffering, okay? 

you: 

16:02 

_He is my friend. That alone is harsh enough._   

Kenma clicks on a profile button and adds Bokuto to this contact list. It`s better to surrender now. The game has already been lost. Probably, since the moment he has agreed to become friends with Kuroo. 

Bokuto Koutarou: 

16:04 

_I don`t believe you_

_he is not that bad! kuroo`s awesome_

you: 

16:08  

_He took my water away from me after the practice._  

16:08 

_He is just Kuroo. I am fine with that since I was six._  

Kenma sends a message, closes the chat and puts his phone in the bag. Enough for today. It is better to keep an eye on this possible mistake, but to keep it at a distance and not to give any hopes. He will answer Bokuto, but occasionally. He won`t talk with Bokuto in the training camp. Also, he should probably kill Kuroo.  

(It`s not necessary, still there is no harm in dreaming.) 

“Kenma? Any plans for today?” Tetsurou grabs his hand, lifts him from the bench and pulls him out of the changing room. “Are you gonna get lost in Nintendo again?” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“Let`s better throw the ball after dinner?” 

“Tired. Don`t wanna.” 

Kuroo snaps and grunts all the way home, talking about importance of the trainings, blurred vision from gaming, wrong choice of life style, and neglect of the best friend (that is Kuroo himself). 

They separate at Kenma`s house, and Kenma quickly nods as a farewell, aiming to get inside the house. Kuroo shakes his head, displeased, but then laughs and says good-bye, promising to pick Kenma up tomorrow. 

“Just do not play all night long, Kenma-kun!” 

After dinner and bathroom, finally in the bed with Nintendo, Kenma remembers about his phone and Line. Twirling the gameboy in hands, he look at the bag, uncertain what to do, then gets up and takes the phone out. 

Six unread messages from two active dialogues. 

Kenma looks at the display, at Nintendo, and, without thinking, he puts the gameboy on the shelf. 

Two messages from Yaku. He reminds him about tomorrow practice. 

Four messages from Bokuto. Kenma drums his fingers on the backside of the phone, then bites his lip. And opens the chat. 

Next morning Kuroo and he are both late. Kuroo damns all the MMORPG he knows about. 

(Kenma do not tell him whose fault it actually is.) 

 

**Author's Note:**

> From saltyzebra:
> 
> I am trully in love with this work. I read it, and my heart is melting, time after time. 
> 
> Thank you, german_no, from the bottom of my poor melted heart. 
> 
> I hope, folks, you will love it too.


End file.
